Former jailor, tattoo shop owner indicted by grand jury

SoVaNow.com / May 22, 2013

A Mecklenburg County grand jury handed down indictments against 14 individuals on May 20 including 10 counts of possession of child pornography against former Meherrin River Regional Jail employee Christopher James Vesper.

Vesper was arrested in February after an investigation involving both the Virginia State Police and New Jersey law enforcement. At the time of his arrest, Vesper was an officer at the Meherrin River Regional Jail – a position he had held for approximately three months. Prior to that, Vesper was a retired staff sergeant with the U.S. Army.

Barry Wayne Klasen of Brodnax was indicted on one count of forcible sodomy with a child less than 13 years old.

William Joseph Carhuff of Clarksville, operator of the Clarksville Tattoo shop on Third Street, and Mike Hill of Philadelphia were each separately charged with one count of malicious wounding of Jason Reid, a former employee of the Clarksville Tattoo shop, and one count of abduction and kidnapping of Reid.

Carhuff was additionally charged with two counts of grand larceny for the theft of property belonging two Reid.

Tony Zimbalist Baskerville of South Hill was charged with one count of malicious wounding of Fields Harris.

Tajmon Marquis Daily of Chase City was charged with one count of robbery of the residence of Rodney Spivey, and one count of strangulation of Rodney Spivey.

Marell Tyrone Crutchfield of La Crosse was charged with feloniously and malicious wounding of Felix Boyd and with destruction of property valued at more than $1,000 belonging to James Bright.

James M. Coleman Jr. of Aylett was charged with one count of possession of gun within 10 years of having been convicted of a nonviolent felony.

Leraysheo Shontel Byrd was charged with eluding and disregarding a signal from a law enforcement officer.

Sherman R. Eaddy of Rocky Mount was charged with driving after having been declared a habitual offender.

Justin Shaze Taylor of Brodnax was charged with one count of driving under the influence for the third time within five years.

Aaron J. Tolbert of Oxford, N.C., was charged with breaking and entering into the dwelling of Randy Warren Lane with intent to commit assault and battery.

Patricia Knight of Crewe was charged with shoplifting of merchandise valued at less than $200 from Walmart. She was previously convicted of the same or a similar offense on two or more other occasions.

Courtney Demonds Lynch of Roanoke Rapids was charged with one count of theft of property valued at $200 or more belonging to Richard Galos and one count of breaking and entering into a structure owned by Galos with intent to commit larceny.

Indictments are not findings of guilt, but rather a determination that sufficient evidence exists to bring the cases to trial.